I'm sad that there is no vegetarian forum in the specific chat & recipes forum. There are enough vegetarian cooks out there to warrant that.

Anyways, my boyfriend and myself are both vegetarian and love love love to cook. We have gotten very good at substituting meat ingredients in recipes with vegetarian alternatives and the vegetarian products available in the supermarket make it that much more easier. It's not just tofu anymore.

Ratatouille w/couscous?
Falafel?
Grilled cheese and sliced dills on Pumpernickel?
My latest fave is a vegetarian version of a coquille st jacques substituting morels and dry riesling for the scallops and Sauterne.

I've got a blog full of 'em. I make tempeh or chickpea burgers and freeze them, lots of pastas ranging from Bolognese to Stroganoff, and lots of curries and stir fries. I also make my own seitan, including ribs, roasts and sausages. Last Friday, I made Cajun Mushrooms with Andouille & rice.

I'm not a vegetarian (actually, at one time I think we did have a vegetable/vegetarian format), but have favorite meatless meals. First of all, whenever I'm visiting my mom, she requests what she calls "Claire's ratatouille". That is to say, when the rest of the group are eating grilled meat, I halve or thickly slice zuchini (courgetttes), eggplant (aubergine), onions of all kinds, tomatoes. Actually any kind of vegetable you like. I toss with good olive oil and my favorite garlic seasoning, then, before the meat goes on, I grill them quickly on very hot coals. At the last minute some good tomatoes. I put them in a bowl covered with foil and they keep easily until the meat is done. Yes, I know, I know. I chop the veggies coarsely, and they turn out to be a pretty hearty meal for my non-meat-eating friends and family when supplemented with corn on the cob, potatoes, pasta, or rice. When we were on the road, it would crack me up that older, die-hard meat and potato type campers would stop at our site and wonder what I had on the barbecue that smelled so good. Huh? Vegetables.

The leftover grilled veggies can be pureed in the food processor and used as a flavoring for bean/split pea soup. The problem, if you want to call it that, with this is that you can swear on the bible and your mom's grave (luckily, I can't do that) that there is no ham or other smoked meat in the soup and some vegetarians will not believe you.

Although I'm not a vegetarian either, at one time I did experiment with grilling a large portobello mushroom cap, stuffing it with cheese, diced mild pepper and diced tomato, and serving it between the halves of a hamburger bun. It was surprisingly good (to my taste.)

We actually used to have a vegetarian forum here, but removed it after we received numerous complaints from our vegetarians here that they felt singled out and that the forum was unnecessary since we have sections for vegetables, grains, breads, dairy, fruits, etc. Part of their complaint was that our forums are broken down into food types and vegetarian is not a food type, it is a lifestyle. It would be very confusing to try to find a recipe or information if you did not know what section of the board to check. If we had a vegetarian forum then there would be two places to look for the same recipe. For instance, if you had a bean recipe, would you look in the beans section of the board or the vegetarian section of the board? The vegetarian section would have many different food types all combined together and that would just be messy and confusing.

Here's another favorite that I made just the other day with some fabulous Poblano peppers from the farmer market:

BREEZY BAKED STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

6 – 8 fresh green poblano peppers (depending on their size and your appetite)1 brown paper bag, food-safe plastic bag, or bowl with plastic wrap to cover that will comfortably hold peppers2 – 3 tablespoons of grated cheese PER PEPPER, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or – if you like extra heat – one of the “hot pepper” cheeses now on the market. A standard-size block of any two of the above should give you more than enough cheese to stuff 6 – 8 peppers.One 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce spiked with dried oregano & granulated garlic to taste, or one 10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce

Preheat broiler for approximately ten minutes. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil and place peppers on it with space between them. Broil, turning frequently, until all sides of the peppers are black and blistered. Place peppers in paper or plastic bag, or in plastic-wrap covered bowl and allow to sit for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle comfortably. One by one, gently peel blistered skin off of peppers (this may be done under a GENTLE stream of cold running water). Leaving the stem intact, gently cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper and carefully remove seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate cheese(s) and set aside. Using any baking dish that will comfortably hold the peppers in a single layer, coat the bottom with half the sauce. Carefully stuff approx. 3 to 4 tablespoons of grated cheese into each pepper and place on top of sauced dish. Top with a drizzle of the remaining sauce and any leftover or extra grated cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes, or until peppers are heated through and cheese is melted. Remove from oven & allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Served with or on top of your favorite Spanish/Mexican/yellow rice, with beans, and a green salad; this makes a nice, lively vegetarian entrée.

***This is sometimes easier said than done. Don’t have a heart attack if your peppers tear a bit here and there. Once they are stuffed with cheese and everything is melted and oozing together – no one will know the difference.